Belize Coast Guard Rescues Man Floating 17 Miles Offshore on Makeshift Raft

On Monday, the Belize Coast Guard rescued a man approximately 17 miles south of Belize City, near Blue Field Range, in the Caribbean Sea. The man was calmly sitting in a bucket on top of a round metal makeshift raft.

The Coast Guard appealed to the public for assistance by sharing pictures of the man when he was found after he could not provide any identification.

After the rescue, the man was transported to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, and the Coast Guard was able to contact a family member.

In a social media post, the family member expressed gratitude for the Coast Guard’s efforts, stating, “HE IS FINE SO FAR.”

According to Rear Admiral Elton Bennett, Commandant of the Belize Coast Guard, reports came in around 5:00 p.m. of a man drifting on a makeshift vessel. Bennett explained that when they located the individual, he appeared in a “state of uncertainty as it relates to his address” and had a fishing line in the water. “He wasn’t communicating freely; he was sort of hesitant in communicating with us. Apparently, he was last seen three weeks ago, so we don’t know exactly where he was or what mental state he was in.”

The man had with him a black school bag, a smaller bag hanging on his back and two white buckets. In the photos shared by the Coast Guard on social media, the man appeared calm and gazing out at the water. Bennett said the man “seemed quite contented on board that little raft that he was on drifting out at sea.”

Bennett added that it was very fortunate that the team was able to locate the man before night had set in. “We don’t know what would have been the unfortunate situation that he would have encountered at night, out there drifting around.”